Crazy Cat Lady
by WinterVines
Summary: Naruto grinned, and Sasuke just knew that something stupid was going to come out of that mouth. He gave him a blank look. "I don't want a cat." SasuSaku Four-shot. AU. Complete
1. Chapter 1

This is a going to be a four-shot. It is already done, but I didn't want to throw all fifteen thousand words at my readers at once. I split it up best I could. This is AU.

I own nothing but the plotline I came up with.

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Crazy Cat Lady

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Sakura should have known that something was off by how great her day was going so far. It was strange, she knew, and even if she should have, she wasn't going to question it.

She had woken up on time for once, and instead of hitting the snooze and rolling over like she would have on any other day, she actually took the time to get up and complete her morning rituals without being in a rush. She even had time to stop for breakfast, something she loved, but something she rarely had time for.

She had plenty of time to make it to the last day of her summer internship at the hospital today, and her unusual morning was totally worth the shock on her coworkers' faces as she arrived before any other students. That never happened. She was more known for her tardiness (something she must have picked up from her lazy silver-haired teacher in high school) than her promptness.

Since she wasn't taking summer courses, her school had offered to set up a month long internship so she could get used to the working environments. It wasn't very long, but she had only just finished her first year of medical school. The experience was well worth all the times she was called in.

It had even paid a little bit, which was good. She had gotten a few scholarships to help out with her funding, and while she was in class, she did some work study stuff to help pay rent. Between the two, she had enough to cover her for the summer until her classes started back up again.

The hospital was a lot of work, but it was worth it. Sure, she had worked all of the weekends and some odd hours of the night, but if she was making a difference, it didn't matter to her. She didn't always know what to do, but she supposed she'd learn soon enough.

Today had been her last day, and it had gone particularly well. She hadn't even made any embarrassing mistakes like most other days. She shivered at the thought, despite the sun. The bedpan incident was never going to be mentioned ever again.

Now, at least, she had two whole months of summer to catch up on everything she had missed while at her first year of college.

She hadn't seen her friends in a long time. Some of them she hadn't even talked to since high school, even though they were right here in Konoha. She felt a little bad about it, but when she got busy she tended to block out everything other than what she was focusing on. She missed a lot of them, but they were probably busy with school too anyway. Besides, the phone worked both ways right?

The only soul she had really stayed in touch with was Ino, and that was because the blonde always invited herself over without any preamble and called at whatever time she felt like it. Sakura was glad for it though.

In high school, she wasn't really what someone would call a social butterfly. She had a lot of friends, sure, but she wasn't one to try and attract attention to herself. That was Ino's specialty. Sakura wasn't much of a partier, and she hadn't dated. There had been a few boys she had her eye on, like the pretty sullen boy she had known forever, but she was always more of a friend to all of them than anything.

Dating now was…complicated. It was always complicated. She didn't have a lot of spare time in the life she chose to lead. She wanted someone that would just be happy with what she offered, without expecting more. She was willing to give everything she could, but it never seemed like it was good enough. That was all she really wanted out of life now, seeing how her career was being taken care of.

Ino had self-proclaimed it her mission to make Sakura 'get out more', as she put it. Years of being forced out of her home to go to parties and the like ensued. Sometimes being dragged places made school difficult, but Ino was her best friend and Sakura always found it hard to say no.

Besides, she might've gone crazy without something other than schoolwork in her life. Her habits had carried over into college, and she found that Ino still liked to drag her places whether she wanted to go or not. That had dimmed a bit though in this last month. Her internship had taken up a lot of time, and Ino knew that it was important to her.

She had been kept mellow with the promise that Sakura would call her as soon as her internship was over. It was a silent promise to make up for all the lost time, and Sakura wondered if she should be worried. Still, it was nice to just hang out sometimes. She might even call her today, actually. A trip to the spa with her best friend sounded wonderful. It would be nice to get out.

Sakura didn't even know the last time she had been out, let alone on a date. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't gone out since the last time Ino forced her. That had been before the internship started. She made a face as she walked down the mostly empty side walk. There was no doubt that her blonde friend would take the liberty to set her up blind if she knew.

Shaking her head, she cleared the thoughts from her mind as she continued on towards her apartment. The sun was shining, the sky was clear, and she wasn't going to let anything ruin the rest of her day.

The day had been short at the hospital. It was mostly review for all who had been a part of the program. They signed a few papers and were told information about signing on again next year. After leaving, she had stopped at her favorite Chinese restaurant. She hadn't made much time for it while she was so busy, and she was glad to finally start having a life again. Sweet and sour chicken was her favorite thing to get.

She had even remembered to eat her fortune cookie this time. She was a bit puzzled on the message inside, _be wary of cats_, but was nevertheless happy. She smiled at the people who passed her on the sidewalk. She didn't have a cat anyway.

A tune sounded from one of the open windows down the street, and she added a little bounce in her step as she walked to match the beat. She was glad to finally have some time to herself.

She continued down the street until an echoing crash made her slow to a stop at the front of an alley. There was a short scraping sound, and Sakura stepped a short ways into the alley to get a better look. Nobody was around, but she reminded herself to be careful anyway. Didn't they always say girls shouldn't go into dark alleys by themselves? Never mind the fact that it was still daylight hours.

She jumped slightly as a dark mass moved in her peripheral vision. Her eyes darted to it, and she took a step back. Looking a little closer, she calmed down as she saw what looked like a brown tarp bag sitting next to a garbage can with the lid off. It sat a few feet away.

Everything was still, and she scolded her mind for playing tricks on her. The lid just fell off the can, that's all. She was about to turn out of the alley and continue on to her apartment when she heard the scuffling again. This time when she looked back, everything was not still.

The bag she had accused her mind of moving was indeed moving. In fact, she thought she could hear some type of noise coming from it.

Instead of freaking out, the second bit of information processed, and she rushed over to the trap as she realized that some poor animal was probably confined within it.

The noise grew in volume as she neared, and the healer in her called out to it. Kneeling down next to the moving mass, she searched for the top of the bag as quickly as she could. Who knew how long the poor thing had been stuck in there. If she was correct, it had probably been put in the trash can as well, and had been struggling to get out.

She found the leather cord holding the container together and loosened it, making way for the mass of fur that emerged from the top of it.

Sakura got up quickly, stepping back a short ways. She didn't know if the animal was tame or not, and if it grew violent, she didn't want to think about all the diseases she could get if it bit or scratched her.

She watched as the grey mass shuffled out of its container. As she looked at it, she realized that it was a cat. It was fluffy, and the shade of its hair was slightly duller than her old teacher's. It proceeded to shake the bag off of itself, and when it was finally free, it took a moment to smooth down its ruffled fur. She couldn't tell how old it was, but the size of it, as well as the notch missing from its ear, told her that it was probably middle aged. She remembered her grandma having an older cat in roughly the same shape.

Sakura watched it fix itself with its back to her. When satisfied, it turned around, and she was a little unnerved by how it looked at her. It seemed to be guessing exactly what she was thinking. After a few seconds of looking, finding nothing interesting, it licked a paw and brought it over its ear.

Still a little weirded out, she started slightly when she heard a voice. "Why thank you, dear. That was beginning to be a bit insufferable."

Confused, she turned her head towards the street, trying to find the source of the voice. Finding nothing, she glanced back at the cat only to have her eyes widen. In the spot where a cat had sat not a few seconds before stood an older woman instead. She was smoothing down her grey hair, and she seemed to be humming a little tune.

She finished and looked up. "There, now that's that." The older woman stepped a little closer, off of the brown bag the cat had previously been sitting on, Sakura noted, and the pink haired girl was too shocked to move in response. "Now, let's have a look at my rescuer."

Sakura was confused. She didn't say anything as the woman stepped even closer to her, holding her at arms length in order to inspect her. "Well, aren't you a pretty one. I bet you've got boys chasing you up and down the block." If Sakura's brain was working right, she might've laughed.

"And these hands." The lady moved her hands down to Sakura's, turning them palm-side up. "Definitely healers hands. A kind hearted soul to boot. I've certainly done something right to have such a gem help me today."

The grey haired woman looked up at her then and smiled. "Don't look so lost, dear. You do remember, right? You helped me out of the bag."

Sakura could only stare as she had been for a past few minutes. What was she talking about? It was the same voice she heard earlier, but she could've sworn that voice came from the…

"…Cat."

The older woman blinked at her for a moment before smiling again, clasping her hands together. "Oh good! You _can_ talk. I was worried for a minute that you had memory loss." She paused to think for a minute, putting a finger to her chin. She continued on, more to herself. "Now, where did I put that-"

"Cat." Sakura cut the woman off in her monologue, only one thing on her mind. She had saved a _cat_. What was this? "I helped a cat. Where did-"

"Yes, yes." The grey haired woman waved her hand in dismissal, looking about her and paying little mind to Sakura. She seemed to be searching for something on the ground. "It's very hard to do things without thumbs. I'm grateful for helping me out of that mess. Who knows how long I would've been stuck in that sack."

Sakura stared as the woman padded down her coat, digging in the pockets with a thoughtful look on her face. Was the lady trying to tell her that this old woman _was_ the cat? Her head spun.

With a brightened expression, the woman turned abruptly back to the brown bag she had -supposedly- come out of, the conversation sparking a memory. She ruffled through it for a moment, and with a cry of delight, she removed what looked to be a small, worn book from it. Crowing with victory, she turned back towards Sakura with another smile on her face.

"Now, since you did me a great favor today, it's only fair that you be rewarded."

"But-"

The grey haired lady held up a hand. "I will hear none of it. You deserve it, dear." Sakura could only blink again. What was going on now? It seemed that things were happening way too fast all of a sudden. "Now, let's see what you're _really_ searching for, shall we?"

The woman, who was still nameless, took a moment to look lovingly at the book before opening it carefully. She poured over the pages silently, the only noise made between them being the occasional crinkling of a turning page. Sakura didn't move or say anything. She was still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that this lady talked as if she was a cat as well as the human she appeared to be right now.

"I see now." The woman's voice brought Sakura out of her thoughts. She had a soft smile on her face, Sakura noticed, as if she found something sweet. "I know what you really wish for. How wrong would it be for you to not get it?"

Sakura, not for the first time today, was confused. What exactly had she gotten herself into today? She wondered if it was too late to make a run for it. Then again, she couldn't deny the fact that she was genuinely curious to hear what the woman had to say. What she really wanted? She wasn't even sure she knew herself.

Sakura only caught bits and pieces of the lady's next words. They were more like mumbles, as she seemed to be talking to herself. What she did hear didn't clarify any of her thoughts, however.

"Now where is he?" She began flipping through pages a little faster than before, looking for something specific. A wrinkle appeared in her brow and she made a 'tsk' sound as she frowned. "What is he doing that for?"

Sakura continued to be silent. He who?

"Ugh." Sakura watched the woman rub at her forehead in an agitated matter. "This could take a while. It's a good thing we have time. If he's anything, it's definitely stubborn." She glanced at Sakura, a smile coming to her face. "Well, we'll just have to fix that then, won't we?"

She took a step closer, and Sakura found herself taking one back. Something had changed, but she couldn't place her finger on what it was. The air seemed thicker, and for some reason, the look she was getting made her concerned. She was fairly confident that she could fight off an old lady is she needed to, but she was a healer, not a fighter. Hurting someone else never appealed to her.

"Relax, dear. You're going to thank me for this one day."

Sakura moved to take another step back only to panic slightly when she couldn't. Her eyes darted to her shoes, but there was nothing visibly restraining her. Still, her feet seemed glued to the ground.

She moved her eyes up to the woman's. She was saying something, but she couldn't tell what it was. Her hearing had started to fade. In fact, she could barely tell the woman's lips were moving as her sight started to darken. She wasn't dumb. She knew she was about to pass out.

If she could've, she would've sighed. If she knew this was what waited for her today, she would've just gone back to bed this morning. She should've known it was too good to be true.

A thought hit her then, and she swore that from now on she would always listen to her Chinese fortune. It was almost fitting, she thought, that she would forget all about the strange fortune she had until right this second.

Be wary of cats.

Her vision faded to black, and Sakura wondered if it was too much to ask to have just one day where something didn't go wrong.

* * *

I will have the next part up in a few days. There is also a poll up on my profile, if you would be so kind.

I'm also happy that Chains is close to 500 hits. That's not bad, considering that I'm not known for my Naruto fics yet. In time, in time. I also attempted humor. Better examples of that are to follow soon...I hope. Thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

The second part.

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Sasuke let out a weary sigh as he closed his front door behind him. His classes ended early today, at two, but he still found himself as tired as if he would've been gone all day.

He flicked the lock and threw his keys on the open counter separating his kitchen from the living room. Flopping down on the couch, he threw his arm over his eyes as he allowed himself to relax.

There was no break for him this summer. His family had wanted him to help with the company as soon as possible, so that meant summer classes for him as well. It was never going to end until he graduated. Ever since Itachi graduated (which was two years early, the bastard), his parents had been pressuring him to complete his studies as soon as he was able so he could fill in his spot as Itachi's partner.

He really didn't mind the guy, but he was just so tired of always being compared to him. At one time his older brother had been his idol, and he would've liked nothing more than to be just like him. Now though, he just wanted to be his own person. He didn't mind going into business, as that had been his plan anyway, but he wanted to do it at his own pace. Just because Itachi finished early shouldn't meant that he had to too.

At least he didn't have to constantly live with it anymore. This place wasn't very big, but it had a small, fenced-in yard and was far enough away to dissuade his family from visiting all the time. It was also his, and that was what mattered the most. He was lucky that he wasn't stuck in an apartment somewhere. For once he was glad his family had made a fortune. It allowed him to have his own space, as well as not having to worry about a job while working his tail end off in school.

He was contented enough at the thought to convince himself that a nap wouldn't be too bad. He had just relaxed and settled in when the thunderous pounded sounded.

He mentally groaned. He couldn't have just five minutes, could he? There was only one person that ever knocked like that.

"Hey, Bastard! Open up!"

Naruto.

Heaving a sigh, he got up, wondering why on earth he considered this idiot one of his friends. He made his way to the door and scowled as he unlocked it. Reaching for the handle, he was fully prepared to yell at the blond idiot and then slam the door in his face, only to be met with…fur.

He took an abrupt step back. "Naruto, what the hell?"

The man just grinned, striding past his friend and into the house. Sasuke only stared at him, wondering just who he thought he was. He was about to open his mouth and ask, but thought better of it. It would probably be some loud proclamation anyway.

He shut the door for the second time in the last ten minutes, and walked over to the kitchen opening. Naruto was casually leaning against one end of the counter, fur ball in his arms. Sasuke noticed it was a cat. The blond man was flicking its tail, and Sasuke noticed that the thing had its ears flat back. It seemed to be glaring at the moron too.

"What's that?" Sasuke went to the other end of the counter and leaned with his arms crossed. He was going to get some answers.

Naruto grinned, and he just knew that something stupid was going to come out of that mouth. "You're supposed to be a genius, Sasuke. You'd think that you'd be able to tell what a cat was."

"I know _that_, moron. What is it doing here?"

Naruto had that look on his face, and Sasuke instantly knew what he wanted. He gave him a blank look. "I don't want a cat."

The effect was instantaneous. Naruto immediately got that look like he wanted to argue, and Sasuke braced himself for a, what he was sure to be , loud complaint. Well, everything Naruto said was usually loud, but it couldn't hurt to prepare anyway.

"Come on! Why not!?"

He scoffed. "Why don't _you_ keep it?"

"You know I can't have pets at my apartment, Bastard. Why can't you take her? It's not like your place isn't big enough. You've even got a yard to let her out in!" He whined, and Sasuke ignored it, like usual.

"That doesn't give me enough reason to keep it."

Naruto pouted. "But you looked lonely! She'll keep you company!"

Sasuke gave him his standard are-you-a-moron look while raising a brow. "No. Take it back."

"But I can't just take her back! I found her in an alley on the way here. She was stuck in some sort of bag. She doesn't have any tags."

Sasuke sighed, lifting his right hand to lay it on the counter while the other pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't care. Why don't you give it to Hinata or something? Then, maybe you'd grow enough of a backbone to actually ask her on a date."

Instead of rising to the bait like he was hoping, Naruto chose to stubbornly defend the cat. "Hinata's got a cat allergy. Any direct contact stuffs her up and makes her eyes water. She told us that in Tenth grade remember? Kakashi brought in that cat for vet-tech."

Sasuke was slightly amazed that he was able to remember something important from that long ago, but pushed it aside. He still didn't want the cat.

While Naruto was going on about all the reasons he should keep that cat, Sasuke took the time to look at it. It was a bright red-brown, and it had white spots. He supposed it'd be sort of cute, if that word was in his vocabulary. It didn't matter though. Did Naruto think his front door said 'Animal Shelter' on it?

Naruto was still tugging on its tail, he saw, and he noticed how the cat tensed up. It's paw twitched, and Sasuke was glad to see that he wasn't the only one annoyed at Naruto right now.

"It's going to bite you."

Naruto could only 'huh?' in response before he let out a howl of pain as the annoyed cat sunk its claws and teeth into his hand. On instinct, Naruto dropped the bundle, and the cat took every opportunity to land on the counter and slink over to Sasuke's end of the bar. It laid down next to him and glared at the other end. Sasuke couldn't help but smirk.

Naruto saw it when he looked up and made to retort, but he stopped short as his eyes fell on the cat, as if he hadn't noticed it was there the whole time he was holding it.

Sasuke received a serious look, thinking that Naruto was going to say something halfway intelligent, only to be fouled when he did speak. "Are you like a cat whisperer or something? She wouldn't stop yowling the whole way here, and now she's quiet."

Sasuke just rolled his eyes, not gracing that question with an answer. Yes, _of course_, he was a cat whisperer, he thought dryly.

"See? She already likes you. I don't see her trying to gouge your eyes out."

"Maybe that's because I wasn't trying to yank its tail off."

"_Her_, Sasuke. She's a she." Of course, leave it to Naruto to miss the main point. "You should be nicer to your cat. You don't want to hurt her feelings."

"I never said-"

"I gotta go, Bastard! See ya later!"

Before Sasuke could protest further, the blond man was already out the door and far down the street. He sent a sharp, _Naruto!_, after him, but it didn't do any good. He sighed again at Naruto's underhanded tactics (how many times was that today?) and looked back at the counter.

The cat had stood up and was looking at him with its head titled to the side. Calm mood mostly gone, Sasuke scowled before growling out, "Get off the counter."

To his mild surprise, it did jump down. He gave it a strange look, but didn't comment further. It was still looking at him, and he couldn't deny the creepy feeling he got when it did. It was like it understood everything perfectly. That was ridiculous, of course. It was just a cat.

He rubbed the back of his head. Despite his less than pleasant demeanor, he would've felt a little bad if he just kicked it outside and left it there. Nobody else wanted it if it was a stray, so it wouldn't have anyone looking for it. Besides, it would probably just sit on his doorstep, just waiting for him to open the door so it could get inside.

He shook his head and walked back over to the couch. He supposed now it was just him and the cat.

-

-

Sasuke looked up from the textbook he had been reading. He glanced out the window from the chair he was sitting in. Nobody was out today, the streets empty even though the sun was only beginning to set.

Feeling eyes on him, he looked back towards his kitchen. From the corner of the room where his chair was situated, he had a clear view of the counter without the couch getting in the way. Laying near the counter, where it had jumped down to, was the cat.

It hadn't stopped looking at him since he told it to get down, and it was starting to bother him. How was he supposed to read with it (_her_, he reminded himself) constantly looking at him like that? He glared at it, but unfortunately for him, it (_she_, he corrected) seemed to be immune to the look that gave other people shivers.

He sneered. "You're annoying." It didn't affect the cat any.

It was laying comfortably, partially on its side. It looked relaxed now, verses they way it had sat crouched on its (_her_) legs while Naruto was around. As he looked at it, it meowed and flipped to rub against the floor. It held that pose with its feet in the air and its head tilted, and he supposed the cat thought it looked cute. Well that was just too bad.

"I don't even like cats."

The cat just looked at him for a minute before getting up suddenly and running into the kitchen.

He groaned. Now he was talking to it. He rubbed his forehead as he sighed and slumped backwards in his chair. This was the fourth time he had stopped reading in order to watch the cat. He was never going to get any work done like this. At least no one was around to hear him speak to it. It was already embarrassing enough the more he thought about it.

Closing the book and setting it on the table next to him, he got up. He didn't want it getting into anything it wasn't supposed to. So far it had remained unmoving for the most part, and he was fine with that. It was easily watched if it wasn't going anywhere. He couldn't watch it if it was in the kitchen.

He walked into the room to see the cat sitting in front of the sink counter. As it saw him, it got up and meowed, pacing back and worth. It kept looking at him the entire time.

His thoughts clicked into place suddenly, and he moved towards one of the upper cupboards to find a bowl.

Naruto said he found it in an alley. It probably hadn't had any food or water for days. No wonder it (_she_) was in the kitchen. He filled the bowl halfway to the rim and set it down in front of the cat. It tried to swarm the bowl before he even got to release it.

Sasuke stepped back and leaned against the counter, just watching it. By its actions, it was very thirsty, and he felt a little bad for not thinking about it earlier. It had already been a few hours.

Making up his mind in a rare moment of kindness, he went over to the fridge. Pulling out a Tupperware container that held last night's leftovers, he grabbed another bowl and set a piece of chicken in it. He sat that down next to the water and proceeded to watch the cat devour that too.

It didn't make a lot of noise while eating, and Sasuke took that time to think. He wondered why no one seemed to want the cat. As far as he could tell, it wasn't so bad. Then again, it had only been a few hours. It wasn't used to his space yet. He was slightly concerned, but it was too late to throw it out now. It would probably stick around even if he put it outside, thinking that this is where it could get food.

He sighed. It looked like he was keeping the cat.

It finished, and he watched it come over to where he was leaning. It let out a meow, and he took it at face value for what it could have meant. "You're welcome." He wasn't sure why he was still talking to it, but as long as no one was here, he supposed it was okay.

It wrapped itself around his leg next, and he could hear a faint purr coming from it as it weaved itself through his legs. It seemed genuinely content.

He was a bit amazed. It looked happy (from what he could tell. It was a cat, after all.), and he hadn't even done much. When he did interact with it, he wasn't the nicest. Still, here it was, showing him what he supposed was its form of affection, all because he gave it food.

He marveled at being contented by such small things. At something _he_ did, no less. That didn't happen very often. Too many times he had been on the causing end of tears and heartaches.

He didn't even put that much effort into it and the thing was pleased. Was it just because it was a cat, or was it possible for someone like him to be content like that? The cat continued to purr, and Sasuke let one of his smirks soften, deciding that maybe she wasn't so bad after all.

-

-

As Sasuke was brushing his teeth later that night, he wondered what he was going to do with the cat now.

He had let her outside earlier, knowing she couldn't be kept in here without a box. Half of him had expected her to not come back, but he was mildly surprised to see that after a few minutes she was right at his feet, waiting to go back inside. He supposed it concreted the fact that she didn't already have a home if she wasn't trying to get back to it.

It was late. The last time he checked the clock it had said a little past one thirty in the morning. He didn't have class until around eleven that day, so he was used to being up into odd hours of the night. At least it was now early Friday morning. He could figure out what to do with the cat this weekend without having studying on top of it.

He flicked off the light to the bathroom as he entered the hall, fully intent on heading to his bedroom. He stopped short as he felt fur on his toes, pitching forward slightly. Glaring downwards, he found the cat directly in his path. Any more steps and he would've landed right on top of her. Muttering under his breath, he stepped around her and continued to his destination.

Stopping at his door, he took a second to look over his shoulder. The cat had only crossed half the distance between the two rooms, sitting down in the middle of the hallway. She was looking at him. For good measure, he gave her a pointed look, not knowing if it would help or not.

"Don't get into anything."

He then entered his room and closed the door behind him. He collapsed under his sheet and sighed when his head hit the pillow. He wasn't that tired, but he did have class the next day. He didn't want to be dead. He was slightly worried about the cat, though, so he didn't know how well he was going to sleep.

Various members of his family had owned cats at one time, and he remembered some of the horror stories. He could just picture echoing crashes throughout the night, or emerging from his room to find shredded upholstery and papers littering the floor. His aunt once had a cat that yowled all night, like a dog did to the moon. He turned over and shut his eyes, making those mental images of what he could find in the morning even clearer.

He really hoped he wouldn't have any of that.

-

-

The next morning, Sasuke opened his door cautiously. He was extremely relieved when the hallway leading to the living room was clear of any debris, and as he entered said room, he was glad to see that was clear too.

The cat had made no noise all night, and he wondered if that was a good thing or not. It was still quiet, but he couldn't see any messes anywhere. Looking around carefully, he wondered where she was.

He sighed in relief when he caught sight of her sleeping on the back of the couch. He walked up to her quietly, and he saw her stir a little. She was curled with her back to him, and by the indent in the cloth, he figured she had been there a while. She lifted her head slightly and turned toward him. They looked at each other for about four seconds before she turned back around and fell back asleep.

He shrugged to himself and continued into the kitchen. If she wanted to ignore him, that was perfectly fine. He didn't mind not having interruptions.

He started water to boil on the stove before grabbing a cutting board and knife. He cleaned a few tomatoes and sliced them into edible pieces while he waited for the water. He liked tea in the mornings, and tomatoes he would have any time. They were his favorite food, after all.

He had just started steeping the tea when he watched the cat slowly amble into the room. She stopped a foot within the entrance and yawned deeply. He smirked as she sat down and proceeded to lick her paw and rub her ears.

"Wake up, sleepy."

He chuckled to himself as he refilled the water bowl he had left out for her. It seemed the cat wasn't a morning person. He watched her pad over a little quicker than she had been previously moving as he put some more chicken in another bowl.

Snacking on a piece of tomato, he debated on what he should call her. For all intents and purposes, he supposed she was his cat now. He didn't really want to call her 'cat'. He picked up another tomato and got an idea when he looked at it.

Finishing it, he called out, "Cherry."

The cat raised her head, and after licking her lips, came over towards him to rub against his leg. He wasn't really sure if a cat was supposed to come when you called it, but it was good enough for him. She was red enough, he supposed, so it fit.

Finishing up his tea and tomatoes, he let the cat outside for a minute before gathering his books and heading to class.

-

-

Sasuke took his eyes off the large textbook that sat in his lap. He rubbed at his eyes and shuffled a bit, finding it a little hard to keep comfortable. He shivered a little, but stubbornly decided against going to get a blanket. Who kept blankets out in the summer anyway?

It had been raining all day, so it was cold and drizzly. His chair was next to the window, which he could feel a draft from. The table by him had the best light though, and he needed to read this section before class the next day. If he could just stay focused on the book long enough he would be able to get done with it. Unfortunately, it was about as interesting as watching paint dry, and he couldn't get comfortable.

Giving up for the moment, he thought about his main form of entertainment these days.

Cherry was were she usually was, asleep on the couch. She was on one of the cushions this time. He knew that she probably wasn't really asleep, and if he made any sudden movements, she would raise her head and look at him. If he went into another room, she might even follow him. She liked to be in the same room as he was most of the time.

It had been about a week since Naruto brought her here, and Sasuke found that he couldn't really complain. She was pretty low-maintenance, and she kept herself busy. She liked to sleep instead of tearing through the house, and if it was sunny, she would probably be lying in the window sill instead of where she was. She always came back to the door when he let her outside, and she seemed happy as long as he fed her.

He supposed it could've been worse. So far though, he hadn't had any problems with her.

Sometimes he just liked to take a break to watch her. It was interesting. Some of her actions puzzled him though. It was like she had this knowledge about things. He couldn't tell how old she was, but her behavior made him wonder what kinds of things she was around before ending up with him.

She hadn't jumped at the vacuum, and she always followed what he said. She ate what he did because he hadn't bothered to go out and get cat food. She hadn't turned down anything. If he didn't count himself lucky, he might've wondered more about what was up with this cat.

Shaking the thoughts away, he picked up his book again, deciding to attempt reading one more time before calling it quits. He was about to turn to his marked page when the corner of his eye caught a vacant spot. The couch cushion was now empty.

He looked down and saw Cherry sitting by his legs near the foot of the chair. She was looking at him, and he noticed for the first time that she had green eyes. Pushing that thought away too, he figured out what she wanted from her look. He watched her eyes slide from his to his knees, then back up to his face.

He moved the book aside and lifted his brow when she didn't move. "Well?"

She looked at him again and meowed. Rolling his eyes, he lightly tapped his thigh with his pointer finger. Getting the hint, she jumped up onto his lap.

She immediately started to purr, and Sasuke almost chuckled. It was just simple things for this cat. He took a minute to rub her ear, and she pushed at his hand with her head for more. He ran his hand down her back next, and she curled up in a ball, content to go back to sleep. She didn't stop purring.

He almost laughed at himself. This was the first time he had ever petted her, let alone spent time in his lap. Still, he couldn't say it was horrible. She was warm, and it was a nice contrast from the draft coming from the window. It was…comfortable.

Fitting his arms so he could maneuver his book without moving Cherry, he opened the tome to his page and started to read. This time, he was able to get through it, and she didn't move from his lap the entire time. It wasn't as bad as he once thought.

That night would also be the first night he started leaving his room door open.

* * *

So how do you like it so far? My humor skills pretty much fail, but I found it entertaining. It was at least fun to write. CatWhisperer!Sasuke, anyone?

This section is dedicated to the author I Beta for, Cee Head. If you're interested in checking out her stuff, she's on my favorite's list. A poll is up too, if you would be so kind.


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

The third part. You will be three quarters of the way done when you finish.

* * *

"Dude, I'm totally in!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the two. Kiba and Naruto had way too much energy for their own good. Is this really the reason the guys had gotten together?

The blond man turned to him expectantly. "So that's everyone but you, Bastard. You in or out?" Everyone right now included Kiba, Naruto, Neji, and Shikamaru.

Sasuke scowled. "Yeah, because going to some club and watching a flock of women try to hang themselves on me is _exactly_ how I want to spend my Friday night," he said dryly. He heard Neji snort from a few feet away, and he heard what suspiciously sounded like a 'troublesome' from Shikamaru. Sasuke wondered what they bribed him with.

Naruto and Kiba looked at him like there shouldn't be anything else he'd rather be doing. Is that all his friends ever thought about? He hated a lot of noise and hated large groups of people that always seemed to focus on him. He failed to see how putting the two together was going to be a good time for him.

"You could share a few of them, you know." Naruto, ever quick to sulk, scrunched up his nose. Did he not understand that Sasuke didn't even want them in the first place?

"You can have them." He grimaced. There was nothing worse than having some ditz try to hang on your arm and screech in your ear all night. "Shouldn't you be more focused on someone else anyway instead of some mindless fangirls?"

Failing to get the hint about the shy girl who always watched him, Naruto only answered with a confused "Huh?" Was the guy bipolar or something? Sasuke could've swore it was just last week that he talked about asking her on a date. "Whatever. So you're really not going?"

Sasuke just gave him a blank look, silently asking the question of why he should.

"Come on. Even _Gaara's_ going." Sasuke couldn't deny that he was impressed, and he wondered how they got him to go too.

Monotonously, he added, "I'd rather stay home with my cat." Even if he was partly joking, Cherry was much better entertainment than these guys, especially when they were all together. He preferred going to sleep without a major headache, thanks.

Kiba laughed, and Sasuke sent a glare in his direction. "Yeah, we can kinda tell." His ever-present dog's ears were down, and it seemed to be looking at him. "Akamaru can smell it on your clothes. He had a bad run-in with a couple cats once."

A few snickers rang out in the group, and he turned to glare at the rest of them. "It's not my fault she likes to sleep in my clothes basket." It's not like he could've stopped her anyway. Cats were funny like that, he learned.

Naruto 'aww-ed' and spoke up in a mocking tone. "Does she sleep with you too?" This caused the ring of laughter to increase, and Sasuke crossed his arms, frown still in place.

"Shut up. She's a good cat. Much better company than you losers."

Annoyed, he turned and started to walk away, ignoring their calls and Naruto's question. Absently, he marveled at how fast he went from not wanting anything to do with the cat to defending her.

-

-

Sasuke entered his room, rubbing his towel through his unruly wet hair. A mass of red fur followed shortly after, and Cherry made a soft thump sound as she landed on top of his bed. Wandering over to where one of his windows should be, he flicked on the air conditioner and shivered as a blast of cold air came into contact with the water droplets still clinging to his skin.

His house didn't have central air, but he found that he only really needed the cool when he slept. The small unit was just the right size to cool his room, and it didn't cost that much to run. Taking the towel off his head, he checked the temperature setting quick before he threw the wet towel into his dirty clothes bin.

He looked over to his bed and found Cherry looking at him. She seemed to do that a lot, but he was used to it by now. After a few more weeks of being here, sleeping in his room wasn't even new.

Absently, he thought back to what Naruto had said earlier that day and fought back the urge to grimace, the laughter still crystal clear in his mind. It wasn't any of their business anyway.

She meowed, and he was brought out of his thoughts. He saw what she was touching and answered her. "No, Cherry. Not today." She had her paw on the remote sitting near the foot of the bed, but on his words, she ran up to the headboard and laid on the pillow next to his. She curled into a little ball and poked her head up while looking at him, clearly asking him to follow.

He found that she liked the cool air too. It must be hot for her with all that fur, and after he started to let her sit in his lap, he found he didn't mind her near when he slept either. She wasn't like those other cats that woke you up in the middle of the night by chewing on your hair. She appreciated sleep too.

It was strange, but Sasuke knew she somehow understood him. It was a little ridiculous too, but he couldn't help but think it. There were always people that said they understood their pets. He would've scoffed at them before, but now he thought he understood what they meant. He was pretty sure it went both ways.

He often wondered what she was thinking because of this. He wondered what she would say if she could talk. He rolled his eyes at the memory of his friends. She'd probably have more intelligent things to say than they did.

Coming to the edge of the bed, he picked up the remote and placed it on top of the TV on his dresser. He didn't have a TV in the front room (one of the reasons Naruto didn't like to hang out here much, thankfully). He didn't watch it much anyway. Sometimes before bed he'd flick through channels to see if anything interesting was on. Cherry had become used to this custom too.

Standing in front of the box for a moment, he caught sight of the furry reflection. Before he knew it, he was imagining what she would be like if she wasn't a cat.

He bet she would have a soft voice if she could speak, one that would match her skin. He knew that would be soft too, just like her fur. He couldn't really picture her with red hair like her fur depicted, but he wasn't sure what else matched her. She didn't seem like a blonde in his mind, and brown or black just didn't fit the image. She would have green eyes, just like she did now, and they would glitter like diamonds when the light hit them.

He imagined a pleasant laugh, a sweet sound that struck a chord in his memory. An image came to mind then of a soft, pink veil of hair and creamy skin. She was laughing, and it was like listening to the most pleasing music. Startled, he realized that that image already had a name attached.

Shaking his head, he turned to head to bed. He hadn't thought of Sakura Haruno much since high school. He briefly wondered what she was up to now. He didn't even know if she stuck around Konoha after graduating. It was too bad he didn't keep in touch. He knew where most of his other friends had gone off to. He didn't bother to ask at the time. Maybe he should. Ino probably knew exactly where she was.

Pushing it out of his mind, he sat down on the edge of his bed and reached back with a hand to pet Cherry, who was waiting patiently. She began to purr instantly, and he couldn't help the small smile that appeared on his face for a few seconds.

Reaching over to shut of the light next to his bed, he then pulled the sheet over him as he laid down, liking at least a part of something covering him while he slept. He mumbled a goodnight to the form next to him, and he fell asleep listening to the soft lullaby her rumbling made.

-

-

Sasuke turned the heat down on the burner that held the pasta he was making. He was currently mixing together a special blend of tomato sauce he learned from his mother. He hoped Cherry liked spaghetti.

It had been nearly a month since he'd adopted Cherry, and he still hadn't bothered to go out and get any cat food. As far as he was concerned, her just sharing what he had wasn't that big of a deal. It was a lot easier too. She wasn't picky about many things. He found that she was particularly fond of the sweet and sour chicken he made.

Currently, she was watching him stir chunks of cut up tomatoes into the sauce. She had jumped up on the counter, but she was keeping her distance. He normally didn't tolerate that, but she seemed genuinely curious and not up to no good. She liked to watch him, and it didn't matter what he was doing. He would let it slide this once.

He finished cutting up the rest of the tomatoes and set them aside so they could go on top of his creation once it was done. There was no use in letting good tomatoes go to waste.

He stirred the sauce a little bit more, turning down the heat to let it simmer. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye while doing so and saw Cherry inching closer, sticking her nose out. She took a large step closer and stilled when he spoke.

"Ah, ah." She looked at him after his slight reprimand. He wasn't angry, but it probably wasn't a good thing to teach her to get into food all the time. She meowed faintly, and he caved, giving her a slight smile before rubbing her chin. She purred, as usual.

Covering the sauce, he took the spoon he used to stir it and dabbed a little onto his finger before throwing the utensil into the sink. Holding it out to the cat, he watched as Cherry came closer. She sniffed it for a minute before trying it. Satisfied, she finished and licked her lips. He petted her again and picked her up, setting her on the floor gently.

He left the kitchen to go sit on the couch, letting their dinner cook for a bit. Cherry trailed behind him.

-

-

The soft, evenly spaced knocking at his door told him that it wasn't Naruto on the other side. He was glad for that at least. He didn't think he had any more room for another pet.

Unlocking the bolt, he made to open the door. The sight of Itachi on the other side almost made him groan. He forgot his brother said he was coming this afternoon. The older man just smirked at his reaction, as if he could read Sasuke's mind. Begrudgingly, Sasuke opened the door wider to let Itachi in.

Sasuke closed the door and turned to follow his brother, who seemed to be heading towards the kitchen. He watched Cherry jump up onto the counter partition, and he frowned slightly as he saw Itachi stop and smirk.

Turning back towards the door, Itachi commented, "I didn't know you had a cat, Sasuke."

Not that it was any of his business, but Sasuke could never help always rising to the bait. The fire to defend himself burned strongly, even if Itachi hadn't meant anything by the comment. "Naruto dropped her off here."

"I see." Itachi took a finger and scratched at Cherry's ear, where she normally liked it, but Sasuke noticed that she didn't start to purr. She was curious about this new person but still wary. She eyed Itachi a little strangely, and then looked over at him, as if she was wondering if this person was okay. Sasuke liked her more already.

"If it was dropped, why don't you just drop it somewhere else? I didn't take you as a cat person."

Sasuke glared at the older man's airy comment, speaking like it wasn't a big deal. Even though Itachi was no longer facing him, he didn't stop with his silent threat. He hoped the man could feel the holes burning through him.

"Or perhaps you don't have the nerve. Would you like me to do it for you?"

Did the man intentionally try to piss him off? Sasuke supposed he did, but he couldn't help getting worked up over it, like always. To anyone else, it wouldn't sound like anything special, but he could read the underlying message in the words. They always had a competition of sorts between them. It was an Uchiha thing.

Stalking past him, Sasuke approached the counter and picked Cherry up. She halfway meowed, a sound coming out without opening her mouth. He came to understand it as her questioning tone. He stroked her chin, making her purr now that it was him instead of his brother touching her, and glared at the source of his annoyance today.

He began to turn and walk away, cat in his arms, when Itachi spoke up. "Calm down, little brother. I was only joking." Sasuke scoffed at his chuckle. Itachi hardly joked. "I can see you're quite fond of your cat."

Ignoring his brother, Sasuke kneeled down to set Cherry on the floor. He spoke in a low voice. "Go lay down, Cherry." With another rub under her chin, she ran into the living room and jumped up on the back of the couch. She proceeded to make a spot to lay in and turned her attention back to him. Satisfied, Sasuke got up.

Itachi was looking at him with a smirk on his face. "Does it sleep with you too?"

What was with everyone and asking that question? Did it really matter where she slept?

"_She_ sleeps wherever she wants."

Itachi just laughed lightly, the sound grating on his nerves much like nails sliding down a chalkboard. Scowling, he made his way into the kitchen with his brother following.

-

-

The door closed behind Sasuke rather violently, but he didn't care today. The surly expression didn't leave his face as he stalked to the living room and sank down on the couch. He swore if one more woman tried to pull moves on him to get his phone number he was going to lash out. Trying to drool on him was not going to get his attention in a positive way. Were people seriously attracted to that?

In his opinion, it was a little pathetic that he couldn't get from one class to the next without someone trying to grope him. He learned forward and set his elbows on his knees so he could cradle his head in his hands. He groaned.

"Ugh. Women. They're ridiculous."

A soft thump sounded next to him, and he was aware of the paw that was touching his leg, something she had taken to doing. He raised his head a little and looked to his right, seeing Cherry nosing his arm. Leaning back, he allowed her to crawl into his lap. He ran his hand up and down her back, and she purred. She had long stopped asking, and Sasuke didn't mind his lap partner.

Cherry nudged his chin with the top of her head and meowed, and he chuckled lightly. That was her equivalent of asking if he was okay. "Well, all women but you." Stroking behind her ear, he let out a heavy sigh as he relaxed into the cushions.

He calmed down soon after that, and it was probably because of Cherry. Besides seeming to understand what he said, she also was always able to make him feel better. He sighed again. Maybe Naruto's jibe about being lonely was actually right. He never really thought about it, but then again, he never seemed to have time to seek other company besides his friends.

He supposed it wouldn't be so bad if he wasn't reminded of it all the time. Even if she didn't mean to, his mother always hinted that he should start planning on how he was going to settle down after school. Sasuke knew she only wanted what was best for him, but it was a little hard to juggle school and having a life, let alone adding finding a girlfriend on top of that.

It was hard to just pass it off though when Itachi always had women throwing themselves at his feet too. Itachi didn't turn down all of them like he did, though the older man had yet to settle down at the age of twenty four. He liked to bring around his newest arm candy occasionally, and it never failed to disgust him on how they batted their eyelashes and dressed sparingly.

Sometimes he wondered why Itachi even kept them around. He knew the older man disliked their attitudes as well. Maybe he was the smart one and just did it to keep their parents off his back.

The task wouldn't be so hard if their family name wasn't so well known. The Uchiha had long been a very successful family, and that hadn't changed to this day. It would be nice to find someone that didn't just want his money or a pretty face. He supposed he turned into some sort of conquest, and the winner got bragging rights. He wanted no part of it.

He didn't know what he wanted for sure. It was true that he was going to school for business, but what about after that? What was he really looking for out of life? He didn't know. Shaking his head, he decided that contemplating life could wait until he was in a better mood.

He slowly turned his body sideways, sliding up on the couch to lay down. He kept a hand on Cherry, and she didn't protest as he shifted. She laid on his chest as he continued to pet her, and he let his mind wander while being contented by the rumbling of her purr against him.

Why couldn't he find someone like Cherry? There had to be someone like her out there somewhere. Someone that would just be happy with what he could give them. He just wanted to be appreciated for who he was, even if he did come across as somewhat of a jerk. He would be nicer to her.

Cherry was happy just by being with him. Why couldn't life always be that simple?

She snuggled further into him, curling into a ball, and Sasuke closed his eyes, deciding to think about it later.

-

-

The TV station depicted fast moving objects and whirls of color, but Sasuke wasn't really paying attention to it. It wasn't that late, but he didn't have much else to do. The air conditioner was on, and he was laying on his bed, propped up by his pillows. Since Cherry's usual spot of the pillow next to his was occupied, she was resting in her new favorite place, on his chest.

She purred her contentment as he petted her, his other arm resting on his propped up knee. He started slowly flicking through channels, but nothing really caught his attention. In fact, he was feeling a bit drowsy. He attributed that to the fact that Cherry always brought that feeling of comfort with her, and her rumbling was rhythmic.

She nosed his chin, and he brought his hand up to scratch her ear, knowing what she wanted. His eyes flicked down to her, laying there and looking quite pleased. He smiled a little. He wouldn't ever admit it to the man, but he was glad that Naruto had left her here that day.

Without really thinking about it, he leaned down to kiss the top of her head. Anyone else was a different story, but he didn't really mind showing affection to his cat. She reciprocated well.

The TV flickered static for a moment, and there was a second of silence before Sasuke had sensed that something changed. He was all of a sudden aware of a greater weight on his chest, and when he turned his head towards Cherry, he was shocked to find vibrant green eyes framed by wavy pink locks staring back at him, though it didn't show on his face unless one looked at his eyes.

Her eyes were wide with shock, and he supposed his looked something similar. Neither of them moved or made a sound, and they were so close that Sasuke could feel the small puffs of her breath touch his skin. He could hear his own heart pounding wildly in his chest, and he was surprised the sound didn't echo off the walls.

She was draped over him, her hands bracing herself against him. He still had a hand on her back, where he had previously been petting Cherry. Despite the air conditioner, he felt the back of his neck start to heat up.

He knew who this was. This was Sakura Haruno, the very person he had thought about a week or so ago. She was the image that came to mind when he had imagined Cherry in a human shape. His brain had short-circuited, and he was failing to see the connection he knew existed. He would think of that later when there wasn't a woman sprawled on top of him where his cat had just been.

He took a second to examine her features while she was so close, time stilling as the suddenness of the situation had yet to catch up with real time. She hadn't changed much, he noted. Her hair was longer. He could feel it brushing his sides. Her skin was still the creamy peach he remembered, and her eyes still shone, even in the dim light of his bedroom.

She hadn't changed much, but that didn't mean she was any less beautiful.

Then, after the haze had passed over him, it donned on him what type of situation they were in. She seemed to realize at the same moment as well, because they both started to move at the same time. Awkward shuffling commenced.

Sakura's hands, which had previously been resting on his chest, were used to give her leverage to push herself up at the same time the Sasuke propped his arms behind him in order to do the same. Due to their close proximity, it was only natural that they would hit each other.

What Sasuke didn't expect, however, was her soft lips brushing up against his.

For an instant, he could only feel. There was nothing going through his mind other than how wonderful he felt at that moment and how soft her skin was. He barely noticed as one of his hands trailed up cup the back of her neck or when her hands fisted into his shirt. There was something that felt so right about it, and Sasuke had never felt that at peace in his life.

There was a spark of something, but Sasuke didn't know what to label it as. He felt a bit of satisfaction as he felt her responding as much as he was. Her hand was clenching and unclenching his shirt, and a small moan escaped her, evoking one of Sasuke's.

With a snap, both of them realized what was happening and broke apart. They managed to get all the way untangled this time.

Sasuke had bolted up from his side of the bed and was now standing in front of the TV. The tips of his ears turned a little red. He was boring holes into the other window in his room, a little embarrassed that he had gotten so caught up in an accidental kiss.

Sakura had rolled across his bed in the opposite direction and now stood in front of the air conditioner. He saw her shiver, but he wasn't sure if it was from the sudden cold air or what had just transpired. She was holding her arms in front of her, her hands gripping her shoulders. She wasn't looking in his direction either.

Sasuke brought his eyes over to her, and he watched her nervously look around before meeting his with her own. She gave a shaky smile and chuckled a little bit, although he knew she wasn't finding much humor in the situation based on the pink hue that had spread across her cheeks.

"Hi…Sasuke."

He was slightly surprised she remembered his name, but then he remembered that everyone in the city probably knew his name and face, old classmate or not. He gave her a nod in reply.

"Sakura."

She shivered again, and he wondered if she was surprised he remembered _her_ name. Would she react the same if he called her Cherry?

Something hit him then, getting through the daze he was in, and appearing through the confusion like it had a spotlight on it. It had his mind whirling in ten different directions at a pace he couldn't keep up with.

Sakura was Cherry. Cherry was Sakura. He had lived with Sakura for month while she was a cat. She was a cat?

"So uh…" He was broken out of his thoughts by her voice. "I…uh…guess I should thank you. For…um, fixing me?" She posed it as a question, and Sasuke didn't know how to answer her, if he even should.

"So," he began, thinking on how to phrase his words. "You're telling me you've been my cat for the last month."

She nodded, and his brow wrinkled in confusion. He didn't want to think how that was possible right now. He wanted her to explain and realized that the look on his face must've said that, for she answered his question.

"There… was a cat in an alley." She began hesitantly, as if she didn't know the story that well. "I helped it out of a sack, but it wasn't a cat. It was an old lady."

There was a look of disbelief on his face, and Sakura saw it. She waved her hands in front of her and wobbled slightly, like she was unsteady on two legs. "I know it's hard to believe but-" She sighed. "She thanked me for helping her out, and the next thing I knew the world was a lot bigger than I was and I had this strange urge to stalk something."

Her eyes went distant, reliving the memory. "I…started thinking like a cat I suppose. Those thoughts sort of overrode my other ones." She frowned slightly. He understood that one. He never liked being out of control of himself. That's one reason he had never participated in the underage drinking his friends did.

"I made it out of the alley when I ran into Naruto. I tried to get away, but," she shrugged. "You know the story from there."

He nodded slowly, trying to absorb everything she told him. Despite the fact that it was impossible, her story seemed fitting for the time frame. He just couldn't wrap his mind around it. He was still trying to get over the fact that he had lived with a woman for over a month and didn't know it. Tack onto that that he had kissed that same woman he hardly knew anymore not a few minutes before and he had a real dilemma on his hands.

What was going to happen now? What did she think of this whole thing? Was she even half as confused as he was right now? He wondered if she had known who he was the whole time she was here, or if thinking like a cat had omitted details like that.

So lost in his thoughts, he didn't really register when she said she should be going. He sort of nodded, and he only came back down from the clouds when he heard the click of the front door closing.

What just happened?

He sat down on the edge of his bed slowly, just staring off into space. Sasuke stayed up for quite some time with that same look of confusion on his face, trying to figure everything out.

* * *

I thought this part was entertaining, but what about you?

This section is dedicated to Celsius Knight, a good friend of mine. He needs a little inspiration for writing more fics. Maybe you guys have some ideas for him? He's open for suggestions. He is on my favorites list if interested.

Also, thank you for checking out my poll. I see it went up a few people. You have my gratitude.

I was also thinking that one turn may deserve another. I had an idea once to visit this realm for a bit and torture a few more pairings. What say you?


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

The last part.

* * *

"Hey, I didn't know that pizza place opened already!"

Even at the decibel level that his friends spoke, Sasuke still found that he couldn't stay focused on whatever they were saying. It was all a distant humming in his ears, background noise to his inner thoughts.

In fact, if he put his head down on his arms that rested on the table, he bet he could fall asleep. The dark circles under his eyes were beginning to grow.

It had only been a week since Cherry, or Sakura rather, had left his home. He should not be feeling the way he did.

Naruto had already told him with the grace of an elephant through an antique house that he was being 'more of a bastard than usual.' It was true his fuse was a little on the short side lately, but it didn't mean it showed that much. Though…he did snap at Itachi the day before yesterday when he made some wise crack about still being single. He didn't attribute that to missing his cat though.

He also didn't label not sleeping as missing his cat. It didn't matter that no matter how late it got or how many times he tried to drift off that he found he couldn't sleep. He tried to will away all thoughts generated about her, but nothing ever worked. He had even pretended that she was still there, on the pillow next to him, but his mind knew better.

He sighed. He missed his cat.

He had gotten used to her, and before he could stop it, she was a stability point in his life. Now, he was having trouble functioning without her around. He thought it ridiculous himself, but after playing the denial game for a week, he couldn't ignore the negative effects he was suffering from.

She wasn't even his cat to begin with. She wasn't even a cat at all.

Sasuke tried to look alert as his friends interacted around him. It was a good thing he didn't normally say much. That way, unless they really looked at him, they wouldn't be able to tell anything was off. They were meeting in the park, in the area where a bunch of picnic tables were strewn about for people. He had only agreed to come along because he no longer had anything better to do sitting at home, and he hoped that maybe some fresh air would convince his body to let him sleep tonight.

It hadn't helped that, during her brief encounter with his sheets, her scent seemed to cling to the fibers. He barely slept the first night at all. It was sweet vanilla and something that just screamed home to him, and he couldn't get away from it. It had conjured all sorts of images for his mind to mull over, and now every time he thought of Cherry, how she was as a cat, it was replaced with the image of Sakura as he saw her last.

He had endured three nights of this before he resolved to wash the sheets, but even that hadn't helped in the long run. He could still see the images as clear as ever when the closed his eyes, and he also started seeing Cherry as a cat in certain spots around his house.

He was going insane. This had to stop.

"So you guys'll never guess who I ran into today!" Sasuke found himself listening as Naruto spoke up, still lamenting on what he was going to do about his problem. A murmured 'who' rang out in the crowd, and Naruto grinned. "You guys remember Sakura?"

This instantly had Sasuke paying more attention to what was going on. As ridiculous as it sounded, Sakura was his cat. Or his cat was Sakura. Or something. He mentally shook his head. He wasn't thinking straight.

"Hey! Yeah." Kiba spoke up. "I remember her. She still a looker?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively as he grinned.

Sasuke mentally snorted. He could testify to that one. She was definitely nice to look at, not that it was any of Kiba's business. Or his actually. Where did that thought come from?

Naruto returned the grin with one of his own. "You bet. She disappeared to med school right after graduation. Actually, according to what Ino said, she's been gone this last month on some sort of thing for an internship too. She just got back a few days ago."

Sasuke tried not to look interested as he listened. At least he knew she came up with a viable story. He was glad she didn't tell the gossip queen (some things never changed) that she had spent the last month as a cat living with him. Very glad. He wasn't sure how well everyone else would take it.

He was sure that there would be a variety of exclamations in the event of the news getting out. The only one that probably wouldn't comment much on it would be Neji, if only because, out of all of his friends, Neji and he respected each other's business too much to intrude. Neji was not here now, however, so he couldn't have counted on any support if the cat had been let out of the bag.

"Can you believe she's been living out on Fire Avenue the whole summer? Talk about bein' a stranger. From what I heard from Ino, she's been pretty busy anyway. That's why Ino never brought her up. Seems like Sakura stuck with the same die-hard study habits she had in high school. I got her number though, so she'll probably be dragged out with us sooner or later!"

That earned a chorus of agreement from the group.

Sasuke was mildly intrigued about what would happen when the next time he and Sakura were in the same room together.

-

-

Two hours. Sasuke had tried to fall asleep for the last two hours.

He had even turned in slightly earlier than normal, in an attempt to get a head start on the tossing and turning he knew he would do. It was only half past midnight now. On a normal day, he wouldn't have even gone to bed yet. He was a little tired of this.

He rolled over, away from his TV, and as if on cue, he imagined what a head of pink hair would look like laying on his sheets. Even though it was gone, his memory could still fabricate that vanilla-home smell, and it teased his nose like a passing breeze. He groaned and rolled over onto his back.

The sense of peace he had while owning a cat was gone. He missed that content feeling that used to be abundant. Now, it simply felt like he was missing something. He wanted to sleep. He wanted to be able to continue on with his life like something wasn't lost from it. Why wouldn't the thoughts leave him alone?

To think, about a week ago, he had been in a similar position as this. He had a cat, was happy with life, and was just going on with figuring out what he wanted. A week ago he had a beautiful woman sprawled on top of him, responding to his kiss like she belonged there…

He groaned again. He just couldn't win.

Well, he thought, at least she hadn't been naked. He didn't think he would have ever be able to sleep again if that happened. He briefly wondered why it hadn't, but he chalked it up to being the result of whatever magic she was put under. If he decided to even believe that tale in the first place. Her garb had consisted of something one would expect to wear at a clinic or something, so maybe she had been going home from there at the time?

He rolled over onto his other side, hoping that if he presented his back to that side of the room, those memories would take the hint and leave. He could see his clock from here, and he watched five full minutes tick by before he decided something had to be done.

Sitting up, he flicked on the light and rubbed as his eyes. This whole thing had to be put to rest, easy or not.

He got out of bed and started towards the living room. He couldn't believe he was about to do this.

Who knew though. Maybe something good would actually come out of it.

-

-

Sasuke didn't really know why he was here.

Okay, so that was a lie. He sort of knew why he was here, but he didn't know what he was doing here _now_. Sure, it may not have been very late for him, but other people (normal, non-cat people) were probably asleep. He stared at the door in front of him, labeled three-oh-seven, and wondered again what possessed him to come here tonight.

The hallway was quiet, and the two floors below in this apartment complex were the same. The hallways were lit with standard wall lights that came on at the appropriate time of the day. It hadn't been hard to listen as Naruto gave out her address to the group in the hope of reconnecting everyone, but it still surprised him that he was actually here.

He wasn't sure why he remembered the address in the first place. Here he was though, in front of Sakura's door.

He sat there for a few minutes, choosing now to think through his rash choice. He could always go home and pretend like this never happened, like he wasn't being slightly stalkerish by hovering outside of the door of a woman he had lived with for a month as another entity and then kissed and scared out of his house. She would never have to know.

He paced a little, going from side to side as he debated what to do. He really wanted to sleep though, and if he continued to mull over this unfinished business, he was going to run himself into the ground. If he just got this over with, he could finally have the peace he wanted.

But would it really be peace? He couldn't stop the little voice inside his head from speaking up. Part of his gut twisted as he thought about it. A part of him didn't want to settle this, in case everything was forgotten and he lost that content feeling forever. He didn't mind sharing his space with Cherry. He had gotten used to her being around, and he liked it after a while. It had taken a month, but it didn't change the fact that he did.

He thought about getting another cat for a brief moment, but then discarded the idea. For some reason, he had a feeling it was more due to the fact that it was Cherry, or Sakura, as the cat. He wasn't sure getting another one would feel the same, and if he couldn't have the same content feeling that he had, then he didn't want to go that route.

What _did_ he want then? If not to go back to the way things were, then what?

He didn't know. After contemplating over the issue for a while, he still didn't have an answer. It was like a tide, he thought. One moment it was floating close enough to touch, but right when you stretched a hand out, it slipped through the fingers and back to low tide.

Stopping his pacing, bringing him in front of the door again, he sighed. He wasn't getting anywhere with this. He didn't even know what he wanted to say to Sakura, if he even wanted to say anything. That decided it. He was just going to go home. All he was accomplishing here was making an idiot out of himself (even if nobody was watching him), and Uchiha's were not idiots.

He turned to go when he heard the sliding of a bolt behind him. He froze, and he didn't miss hearing the quiet gasp that was let out from the apartment resident. Turning around slowly, he met emerald.

Sasuke and Sakura looked at each other for a moment, no sound coming from either one. Sakura still had a slightly surprised look on her face, and it didn't take Sasuke long to notice the dark rings that circled underneath her eyes. He was surprised she was even up, and he really hoped he didn't wake her in some way.

Why was he here again?

He wondered how she even knew he was out here. As far as he knew, his steps had been quiet, and he hadn't uttered a word. Did spending so long with him give her psychic powers or something?

"I thought I heard something. The third stair from the top on this level squeaks."

She heard that? He was slightly impressed. Was that a side effect from being a cat or what? He shook the thought away. He was not here to ponder her being a cat.

She probably wanted some sort of explanation, even though her face didn't hint towards it. He didn't blame her. If some strange guy that he hadn't seen in a long time was in front of his door at one in the morning he'd probably want some answers too. Well that was great, only he didn't know what to say.

He rubbed the back of his neck. The tips of his ears were _not_ turning red. "I…" He trailed off and reverted his eyes to the ground. The carpet in the hall was an interesting shade of green. Glancing back up, he caught the smile that spread across her face. Her eyes softened, and she relaxed her hold on the door. He almost forgot to breathe.

Sensing his discomfort, she spoke. "I've been used to staying up late for a while I guess." She smiled wider for a moment as she let out a light breath, like she was sharing an inside joke with herself. He supposed she was used to staying up because he did. "I was…used to a lot of things."

Her smile dropped, but she wasn't frowning. It looked contemplative, if anything. He decided that she definitely seemed like a thinking type.

"Yeah. Me too." He offered one of his rare smiles when she looked at him, in an attempt to dispel the awkwardness that had come between them. He tried really hard not to think of last week.

She smiled at him again and gestured to her slightly ajar door. She hadn't closed it. "Would you like some tea?"

Sasuke found himself nodding. It's not like he could sleep anyway. Besides, he was a little curious about the girl that was his cat.

-

-

When Sakura had invited him into the living room, tray of tea in hand, she had taken a seat on the center cushion of the couch in front of the coffee table. Instead of taking the seat in the arm chair to the left of the couch like he thought he probable should, he surprised himself by taking a seat next to her. He thought it might be because he was used to being so close to her, no matter what form she was in. It just felt right, and she pulled him to her like a magnet. Who was he to fight it?

He didn't know how long he had been here, but he found himself not regretting his decision anymore.

He found that he liked to listen to her talk. The conversations were mostly one sided, as his habit of not speaking much hadn't changed, but he didn't mind. Her voice was soothing, and it put him at ease. He found himself relaxing for the first time all week.

Actually, now that he thought about it, being with her now didn't feel any different than when she was curled up on his lap as Cherry. Technically, she was the same person, only now she could hold an intelligent (and he was right, she had way better things to say than the guys) conversation with him. He still didn't really want to think about how the whole cat thing was possible, so he decided to ignore that little detail.

As the night wore on, he participated a little more in talking, realizing that spending time like this was hardly different from when they used to. He opened up little enough to not be distant, but not too much that he sounded like any of the others. There were bits of his personality that weren't going to change.

He found Sakura easier to talk to too. That may have been related to the fact that he had a month's worth of time into it already.

It didn't seem to matter to her that he said so little though. When he did say something, he didn't miss the way her eyes lit up and her smile widened. When he was actually able to make her laugh, he decided that that was the sweetest sound he ever heard, and resolved to hear more of it.

She also didn't seem to have many hang-ups about personal space. It could've been that it was just him, and she practically knew him already, but he noticed she sometimes put her hand on his arm as she spoke. That connection spoke volumes to him. As Cherry, she had done the same thing to get his attention or when something was off. He remembered when he had women troubles and she was there for him, doing what she was doing now, only with less words.

A few things became clearer for him.

"You know, it's the strangest thing, but I haven't gotten a good night's sleep in a week." He had noticed the circles earlier, and even though they were less noticeable when she was smiling, they were still there.

"Me either. You weren't there to sing me to sleep." He was referring to the purring, naturally, and it sent Sakura into a fit of giggles.

He liked that things seemed easy between them. It was almost like she had never left, or that she had always been there. He was content now, with just the two of them sitting here drinking tea and talking. She seemed happy. They were just spending time together.

Maybe some things were that simple.

She was a medical student. She got busy sometimes, like he did, and rarely did anything but bury herself in her work. She was smart, dedicated, and beautiful, and he looked forward to learning anything more about her. She was the type of person he could see himself spending time with regularly.

In that moment, Sasuke made another decision. He decided what he wanted.

It had gone quiet, but she still had her hand on his thigh. Picking it up, he held it in both of his hands before looking at her. She looked at him in question with her head tilted to the side, just like she did as Cherry on their first meeting. He took a deep breath, hoping he wasn't making a mistake.

He swooped in to kiss her softly, but pulled away quickly before he could get carried away. He didn't move back very far, and he could feel her breath against his lips. He was almost tempted to kiss her again, but he remembered that he hadn't exactly gotten a reaction from the first one yet.

She reacted favorably the first time, and one good turn deserved another most of the time, but he didn't know what she would do now. He mentally prepared himself for a slap that could very well come and was relieved when it didn't.

He might have been being a little forward, but he had a month's head start right? From what he thought, very little had changed. He searched her eyes, seeing the confusion at his actions melt away as a smile bloomed on her face. She gripped his hand a little tighter, as he was still holding it, and Sasuke relaxed a little. At least it looked like she wasn't going to hit him.

"Would you like to go to dinner tomorrow?" His voice was just over a whisper. They were still merely inches apart. He glanced over to the clock on the wall. "Well, later today?"

He didn't breathe as it was silent for a moment, thinking that maybe he read her wrong. She pulled back a little, but he was relived as her smile stayed. He watched as she brought her unoccupied hand up to his face, not being able to help the small flinch. She paused for a second before laying her hand on his cheek, looking like all her wishes had been granted.

"I'd love to." She spoke just as soft as he had, and before Sasuke could mentally cheer his success, she was kissing him again, and he forgot just about everything else.

-

-

Later, when the clock had passed four in the morning, the soft like from the living room as still visible, but the room's occupants did not get up to turn it off.

On the couch, Sasuke was using the soft armrest as an impromptu pillow, a calm look on his face as he slept. Sakura was laying on him, head resting on his chest, also fast asleep. He had a hand on her back, holding her to him while the other remained intertwined with hers. Sakura's other hand was fisted in his shirt. They would later say it was the best sleep they had ever gotten.

A lifetime's worth of struggles melted away as they got the rest they deserved, weary from the journey of getting what they wanted.

-Fin

* * *

And there we have it. Thank you to all who read. I hope you liked it. Let me know if you think I should continue this theme with other pairings. =^.^=


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